https://soundcloud.com/ba...nt-to-go-trouble-album
downloadable if you want to look at the wav file.

this is my first final 'mastered' tune from the album.
it will become the 'template' or guide for the rest of the mastering.

i've mastered it very lightly, and it's fairly quiet, dynamic range of DR12, average RMS is about -15 to -13, but it has been compressed and limited.
 
this is as light as i would ever master, and cannot decide if it's too quiet or not.
.....not sure where these levels sit with modern streaming requirements.
if you would, please, crank it up loud, and see how it translates, and if you think it needs to be pushed a bit more.

Firstly I like the track.
I did download and listened using Soundforge Pro 11, the True Peak Meters showed you as being over by 1.2dB on the right and 0.1dB on the left across the tune ans a whole.  I did wonder if it was perhaps just a little bright as well but generally the mix sound very well balance with good spread and separation with enough space around the instrumentation and the vocal.

Sounds fine to me, but as far as the mastering goes, it would easier to make a judgement in the context of the other tracks.
 
Super track by the way...

NIce mix. Makes me rethink some of mine.

Love the track man.
I was just listening to some other tunes and it fit right in (volume wise) so i wouldn't think you'd have to make it any louder.
As always love the solos and the vocals...
 

Oh~ nice song! cool sound!

Hey bat! How about this request? What song(s) can you have us compare yours to? It would really help answer your question. 
We could look at overall loudness, EQ, compression, etc. 
It would not hurt to give us links to songs that fit your genre. 
Just an idea. 
I agree with James that you really need to have all your tunes done to really nail the mastering for an album. 
What you think today will most likely change when you compile the rest. 
So, I would not put too much emphasis on just one song with others coming. 
I'll listen to this one tonight. 

OK. I listened in my car coming home and now in my studio. Your song and playing is really so great. 
For the mix, it is good but could be better. 
I surfed around and came up with Rush's Tom Sawyer here (remastered by somebody):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gztabfs5ngA
Not to compare to you bat but it really has good top to bottom. I am A/B ing your song and their YouTube. I have you on my left monitor so I can play/pause and Rush on the right. So with my speakers jacked up, I can really compare. 
They have more low end and it is tight and big. Compare their kick and bass to yours. You use brighter guitars which is good but they sound bigger IMO because the guitars are not as bright as the vocal and cymbals. 
So, it makes the sound seem larger. 
I think you can get more out of your lo mids and bottom if you feel like it. 
Rush's kick is really nice. 
So that's some input that might help. 
At this stage, like I said one up, I would not focus too hard until all the tunes are done. I would also suggest using other commercial releases for your comparison instead of your own just to stay in the commercial playing field. 
 
All the best. 
Jimmy
 
Update: Here's another YT track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tP5j6yONVE
 
Kick is pretty loud but it all sounds good to me. 
 

Wookiee
Firstly I like the track.
I did download and listened using Soundforge Pro 11, the True Peak Meters showed you as being over by 1.2dB on the right and 0.1dB on the left across the tune ans a whole. I did wonder if it was perhaps just a little bright as well but generally the mix sound very well balance with good spread and separation with enough space around the instrumentation and the vocal.

alright wookiee, thanks for the goings over.....
i'm on the fence with the brightness..
i don't think it's overt.. and i'm looking for a more modern sounding mix on this set....
but between your suggestion, and rimshots, i may consider a more gentle roll on the high end.
it's quite easy to push it in either direction, and not mess up the sonics, when you are mastering this light.
 

jamesg1213
Sounds fine to me, but as far as the mastering goes, it would easier to make a judgement in the context of the other tracks.

Super track by the way...

hey james,
yea, the others will be slightly different,
but right now, i have to establish a max headroom, and this song would be the one to set it by.
 

ed1luv4g
NIce mix. Makes me rethink some of mine.

thanks for listening Ed, i'm always re-thinking it!!
LOL
 

arlen2133
Love the track man.
I was just listening to some other tunes and it fit right in (volume wise) so i wouldn't think you'd have to make it any louder.
As always love the solos and the vocals...

glad you dig this one arlen, thanks.
 
 

oockkk
Oh~ nice song! cool sound!

thanks Oockkk, appreciate the listen.
 

Rimshot
OK. I listened in my car coming home and now in my studio. Your song and playing is really so great. 
For the mix, it is good but could be better. 
I surfed around and came up with Rush's Tom Sawyer here (remastered by somebody):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gztabfs5ngA
Not to compare to you bat but it really has good top to bottom. I am A/B ing your song and their YouTube. I have you on my left monitor so I can play/pause and Rush on the right. So with my speakers jacked up, I can really compare. 
They have more low end and it is tight and big. Compare their kick and bass to yours. You use brighter guitars which is good but they sound bigger IMO because the guitars are not as bright as the vocal and cymbals. 
So, it makes the sound seem larger. 
I think you can get more out of your lo mids and bottom if you feel like it. 
Rush's kick is really nice. 
So that's some input that might help. 
At this stage, like I said one up, I would not focus too hard until all the tunes are done. I would also suggest using other commercial releases for your comparison instead of your own just to stay in the commercial playing field. 
 
All the best. 
Jimmy
 
Update: Here's another YT track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tP5j6yONVE
 
Kick is pretty loud but it all sounds good to me. 
 

 
you know, i've always dug rush.
big fan, but mostly of the first era, up thru permanent waves.
 
but those mixes, as good as they are, sound a bit dated to me.
i'm going a bit more modern.
i'm worried about low end translation on ALL systems, and have already found freqs that i know need taming, with my mixes...
 
the mixes are all done, only the mastering is at hand now.
 
i could roll off some of the highs, even on just the guitar tracks, and still get the clarity i want,
so if i tweak any of the mixes, i might approach it that way.
small boosts of specific kick and bass freqs, i've already done, but i could get a little more poky with it,
and bring up level a bit to make up for the carving.
 
yea, rush set the bar really high.
 
if i had that recording studio to use,
and that gear,
and that drummer.....
 
LOL
 
hey, my drummer on this project was top shelf...
i was quite happy with the performances, but not the capture.
but that, i'm afraid, i'm stuck with.